Composing fork



Filed Dec. l, 1939 Mjiw Patented Nov. 26, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT ortica COMPOSING FORK Worth G. Read, St. Paul, Minn.

Application December 1, 1939, Serial No. 307,108

3 Claims.

This invention relates to means for facilitating the composing of individual type in line holders of the general character described in my patents numbered 2,025,307, dated December 24, 1935, and 2,045,408, dated June 23, 1936, the device being particularly adapted for use in printing tabulated lists, such as p-ayrolls and where changes must be made from time to time.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel composing fork having means for guiding type into a removable line holder and a copy holder so associated with the line holder that the work of accurately composing the type for tabulated lists is facilitated.

Other objects will appear and be more fully pointed out in the following speciiication and claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of my improved composing fork with a line holder in place thereon;

Fig. 2f is a side elevation of the same, and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sections taken respectively on the lines 3 3, 4--4 and 5-5 of Fig. 2 and somewhat enlarged.

The device has a channel shaped guide 6 adapted to slidably receive the type from an end formed with a pair of prongs 'I which are employed in the usual manner to select type from a storage bank or type-setter. The opposite end of the guide 6 is fastened to a pair of spring jaws 3 adapted to frictionally grip a line holder 9 between them, these jaws projecting in parallel relation to the guide 6 to position a line holder in continuation of the guide 6. A copyholder I is fastened to the bottom of the jaws 8 and guide 6 to extend along the bottom and at one side of the line holder 9. Flanges II are bent in from opposite, parallel edges of the holder I0 to con- .Fine a long narrow card or sheet I2 upon which is typewritten or printedcolumn headings, guide lines or other copy which is to be set in type in the holder 9.

The headings and guide lines on the sheet I2 illustrated are typical for payrolls where the social security numbers of named individuals, their work classiiications or occupation and place where employed must be noted. A pair of indentations I3 in the sides of the line holder 9 afford a stop for the type I4 to be composed at one end of the line. These indentations are so located relative to the first column heading that the first or left end type is stopped where required in the first column to be set. The opposite end I5 of the line holder 9 is held between the spring jaws 8 when in position for use on the composing fork.

It will be understood that the line holder 9 is normally disposed in continuation of the guide 6 and is similarly shaped in cross section so that 5 the type readily slide from the guide into the line holder. To facilitate gripping the composing fork assemblyin the hand of the operator, I provide thumb rests I6 in upwardly spaced relation to the guide 6 and line holder 9. These thumb 10 rests make it unnecessary to grip the top of the guide 6 and holder 9 so that the type is allowed to slide freely from the guide into the holder.

In use, the sheet I2 containing the column guides or copy to be composed ris placed in the holder l0 between the flanges Il and then an empty line holder 9 is attached to the composing fork, as illustrated, with the end I5 of the holder gripped in the jaws 3. The operator grasps the assembly near the guide 6 using the thumb rest 20 I6 and thenl selects the type from the storage banks, including the necessary quads to properly space the columns in accordance with the copy in the holder I0. The line is composed with the .several type characters accurately disposed in the columns according to the guides on the copy sheet. When a line has been completed the holder 9 is merely removed from the jaws and placed in the form holder or galley for printing. This operation is repeated for each line, the successive empty line holders, of equal length, being placed in the grip of the jaws 8. Changes in the copy or column guide are frequently required. Such changes are made quickly and easily by merely substituting in the holder I0 new sheets 35 l2 bearing the appropriate copy.

It will now be evident that the proper location of the several type characters in each line relative to the characters of other lines in a tabulated list is greatly facilitated and unusual accuracy is r obtained by my arrangement of the column guide holder and line holder in parallel relation to each other and attached to the composing fork.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A composing fork comprising, a fork adapted to receive type at one end, means for removably attaching a line holder in continuation of the other end of said fork, a line holder extending in continuation of said fork on said attaching means and a copy holder fastened to said fork and extending along said line holder to display copy as a guide to the composition of type in said holder. c

2. A composing fork comprising, a channel one end, means for removably attaching a line holder in continuation of the other end of said guide, a channel shaped line holder extending in continuation of said guide, a copy holder secured to said guide and extending along said line holder and a copy sheet bearing column guides for the type to be set removably attached to said copy holder.

3. A composingrfork having in combination, a

2,223,048 vshaped guide for type adapted to receive type at guide for type adapted to receive type at one end, spring jaws for removably attaching a line holder in continuation of the other end of said guide, a line holder extending in continuation of said guide in said jaws and a copy holder secured to said guide and extending along said line holder to display copy for a single line as a guide to the composition of type in said holder. 

